SPSS (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences) is a statistical software package used for data management and analysis. It was developed in 1968 at Stanford University and acquired by IBM in 2009. SPSS allows users to easily obtain statistical results without programming by providing pre-programmed procedures for statistical analyses such as descriptive statistics, bivariate and multivariate analyses, predictive analytics, and graphics. Common uses of SPSS include market research, survey development and analysis, scientific research, and academic research.

1. SPSS -STATISTICAL PACKAGE FOR SOCIAL SCIENCES
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SHORT ANSWERS
1. Define the term Statistics.
Statistics can be defined as the collection, presentation, analysis and interpretation of
numerical data.
2. What are the utilities of Statistics?
 It presents facts in a definite form.
 It simplifies mass of figures
 It facilitates comparison
 It helps in formulating and testing hypothesis.
 It helps in prediction.
3. What is a statistical package?
A statistical package is a suite of computer programs that are specialized for statistical
analysis. It enables people to obtain the results of standard statistical procedures and
statistical significance tests, without requiring low-level numerical programming. Most
statistical packages also provide facilities for data management.
4. Name the some of the statistical packages used by the researchers.
 Stata - comprehensive statistics package
 StatXact - package for exact nonparametric and parametric statistics
 SAS - comprehensivestatistical package
 Mentor - for market research
 StatCrunch - comprehensive statistics package and statistical survey tool, with
community sharing of analysis

2. 5. What does "SPSS" stand for? State its usage
SPSS" stand for “STATISTICAL PACKAGE FOR SOCIAL SCIENCES”. SPSS Statistics is
a software package used for statistical analysis. It was produced by SPSS Inc., it was acquired by
IBM in 2009. The current versions (2015) are officially named IBM SPSS Statistics.
6. Who developed the SPSS?
SPSS was founded in 1968, SPSS Chairman of the Board Norman H. Nie collaborated with
C. Hadlai (Tex) Hull and Dale Bent, two of his fellow Stanford University graduate
students, and developed the first SPSS program.
7. Who are the beneficiaries of SPSS?
 Market Researchers,
 Health Researchers,
 Survey Companies,
 Government
 Education Researcher
 Marketing Organizations and
 OtherResearchOrganizations
8. Write the utilities of SPSS.
 Market research
 Product enhancements
 Product preferences
 Studyand understand Customer attitudes and behaviors
 Demographic surveys
 Referral identification
 Population/member demographics
 Employee satisfaction surveys
 Employee attitude studies
 Work schedule preferences
 Benefit analysis

3.  Government agencysurveys
 Policy analysis Constituent preferences
 Crime analysis
 Academic surveys
 Testing and evaluation Student interest studies
 Professor/course evaluations…. Etc.
9. List out the window types provided in SPSS.
a) Data Editor
b) Viewer.
c) Draft Viewer.
d) Syntax
e) Script
10. Write the release history of SPSS.
 SPSS 6 (1968), 7, 8, 9
 SPSSX (1983) (the X standing for version 10) was a major revision, SPSSX 2 and 3
followed, then the X was dropped and numbering of new versions continued SPSS 4,5,6
 SPSS 7, 8, 15: Version 7, at least on some computers, had an interactive user interface
 SPSS Statistics (2008) 16, 17.0: major revision, user interface rewritten in Java (solved the
problem of having different versions on different platform. Now the Windows, Mac and
Linux versions are published at the same time. SPSS also added "Statistics" to the name of
the product formerly simply called SPSS.
 PASW Statistics (2009) 17.02 and version 18:: name change to Predictive Analytics
Software [note that on the SPSS Website PASW and SPSS Statistics were used
interchangeably
 IBM SPSS Statistics (2010): After SPSS Inc has been acquired by IBM, the new official
name is now IBM SPSS Statistics and is part of IBM's analytics portfolio.